When the King of Chu announced his intention to send troops to the Qin state to rescue the old nobles, many Chu ministers were astonished.
It was known that Qin's dominance was already established. If they were to attack Qin at this juncture, Qin would undoubtedly retaliate without hesitation.
Once a war broke out, the outcome would be truly unpredictable.
In recent years, Qin had not only strengthened its military and financial power but also boasted exceptionally talented generals.
Whether it was Wang Jian, Lin Tian, or Meng Tian, they were all great generals capable of handling matters independently.
If these three were to lead their respective armies to attack different regions of Chu, it would pose a catastrophic problem for their state.
A misstep could lead to Chu's demise, just like other nations.
Therefore, the King of Chu's words were met with widespread opposition.
"Your Majesty, this is not advisable! Qin is currently too powerful, and their ambition to conquer the world is undeniable. If we strike at Qin now, wouldn't we be providing them with a pretext to attack us?"
"Indeed! Your Majesty, we must not make hasty decisions out of impulse! We should proceed with caution regarding an attack on Qin!"
"Your Majesty, while that wealth is important, it will be of no use if our state of Chu cannot be preserved!"
This vast fortune was primarily for the King of Chu and his generals; others would not benefit from it.
Consequently, they lacked the fervent desire and were more rational.
They were unwilling for Chu to risk its state for mere riches and did not wish to offend Qin.
In their view, Chu at this moment needed stable development and growth rather than provoking the immensely powerful Qin.
With this mindset, many ministers attempted to dissuade the King of Chu.
However, the King of Chu had already made up his mind to acquire the immense sum of ten million taels of silver and was not inclined to heed their counsel.
As others voiced their objections, his expression immediately darkened.
"Are you implying that our state of Chu is inferior to Qin?"
"Your Majesty, I...!"
"If you believe our state of Chu is not strong enough, I would not object to sending your head to Qin!!"
Upon hearing this, countless ministers were struck with fear.
While the King of Chu had shown anger before, he had never uttered such ruthless words.
This made it clear to everyone that the King of Chu was determined to obtain this ten million taels of silver, even at the cost of war with Qin.
Anyone who dared to obstruct him risked facing the King's sword.
This silenced many who still wished to speak.
Although they desired stability for Chu, they had no desire to die by the King's blade.
Thus, the King of Chu issued his command, ordering his army to march to the aid of the old nobles.
The commander appointed was the veteran general Xiang Yan, leading an army of two hundred thousand troops, pressing directly towards the Qin border.
Upon learning of this, Wang Jian's expression changed.
"Damn it, these Chu people are so audacious! For the sake of those old nobles, they are willing to go to war with us!!"
Wang Jian was a formidable strategist, but he had not anticipated the potent influence of wealth, strong enough to compel the King of Chu to mobilize his forces against Qin.
This prompted Wang Jian to immediately enter a defensive posture and swiftly report the matter to King Ying Zheng of Qin.
War between two states was no trivial affair.
Especially when Xiang Yan was leading two hundred thousand troops, failure to respond promptly could indeed result in the rescue of those old nobles.
Furthermore, it could plunge the entire Qin state into immense trouble.
When Ying Zheng received this news, he too was taken aback.
"I did not expect the Chu people to actually send troops!"
"The old nobles were willing to offer such a large sum of money, so it's natural for the King of Chu to be tempted. Their decision to mobilize troops was to be expected!"
"Then how should we handle this matter?"
The confiscation of the old nobles' lands and wealth was initiated by Lin Tian, and most of the subsequent arrangements were made by Lin Tian in the name of Ying Zheng.
Therefore, Ying Zheng sought Lin Tian's guidance on how to proceed.
The mobilization of two hundred thousand Chu troops presented a significant challenge for Qin.
However, Lin Tian appeared unfazed by the predicament.
Upon hearing that Chu had dispatched two hundred thousand troops to attack Qin, Lin Tian even smiled.
"I was wondering when would be a good time to attack Chu."
"After all, as a major power, engaging in war with them too early would be somewhat imprudent."
"But now that they have taken the initiative to attack us, the situation is different."
"This time, I will not only annihilate those old nobles but also consume this Chu army of two hundred thousand!"
The Great Qin at this moment had no other ongoing campaigns.
Therefore, it could deploy a massive army.
This included Wang Jian's forces, Meng Tian's army previously stationed in Chu, and Lin Tian's own troops.
Assembling an army of five hundred thousand was entirely feasible.
With this force of five hundred thousand, destroying Chu's army of two hundred thousand would be no problem.
The actively attacking Chu army would have nowhere to hide.
However, before the full force could be gathered, he would not reveal his intention to annihilate Chu's two hundred thousand troops. Instead, he instructed Wang Jian's army to focus on defense and await reinforcements.
This order brought a glimmer of hope to the old nobles of the three states.
"They're here, the Chu army has truly arrived, a force of two hundred thousand! We are saved this time!!"
"Although Qin has many soldiers, their borders are vast, so their troops are spread thin. Facing the Chu army now is only Wang Jian's force. I believe General Xiang Yan can surely break Wang Jian's defenses and escort us to Chu!"
"Yes! We can even send people to scout Wang Jian's army and support General Xiang Yan. This way, they will surely break through Wang Jian's defenses and come directly to us, and then we can go to Chu with them!"
"So, we can really survive? This is wonderful!"
The ruthlessness displayed by Wang Wu and his men had kept many on edge.
They lived in constant fear that Wang Wu's army might suddenly appear before them.
In such a scenario, they would lose both their wealth and their lives, facing certain doom.
But now, the situation had completely changed.
Chu was coming to attack, and they would soon be able to go to Chu.
Then, not only would their wealth be preserved, but their families would also be safe.
Moreover, after years of development, their families could flourish once again. This was a momentous occasion for each of them.
...